1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a carrier for developing electrostatic latent images, and a developer for electrostatic latent image development using the carrier for developing electrostatic latent images, a method of forming an image, a developer cartridge for electrostatic latent image development, a process cartridge, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Related Art
Methods for making image information visible through electrostatic latent images, such as electrophotography, are presently used in various fields. In the electrophotography method, an electrostatic latent image is formed on a photoreceptor by a charging process and an exposure process, and this electrostatic latent image is developed with a developer including a toner, and then made visible via an image transfer process and a fixing process. Developers used for the development include a two-component developer including a toner and a carrier, and a single component developer including only a toner such as a magnetic toner. The two-component developer is currently used in a wide range of applications. The carrier performs some of the functions of the developer such as stirring, conveyance and electrical charging so that the functions of the developer are separately performed by the two components; as a result, the developer has features such as good controllability. In particular, a developer using resin-coated carrier particles has excellent charge controllability, and thus it is relatively easy to make improvements thereto in terms of the dependency thereof on the environment and stability over time. As the development method, a cascade method and the like have been used in the past, but at present, a magnetic brush method using a magnetic roll as a developer-conveying body, is mainly used.